Origin of the name BRUNIHILD.
Etymology of the
name BRUNIHILD.
Meaning of the baby name BRUNIHILD.

BRUNIHILD.
A variant spelling of Old High German Brunihilt
(q.v.),
meaning "breast-plated battle maid." Also see Frank Brunichild.

Like so many other Visigoth
kings, Athanagild sought to add security to his kingdom by connecting
his family by marriage with the house of Clovis. The consequences
were unhappy, as usual; the fate of Athanagild's two daughters is one of
the most tragic episodes of Frankish history. The younger of them,
Brunihild, was married to King Sigebert of the East Franks.... The
brother of Sigebert, Chilperic, king of the North-west Franks, sought
the hand of Athanagild's elder daughter, Geleswintha, and in spite of
her tears and entreaties she was compelled by her parents to accept the
unwelcome bridegroom. Both princesses adopted the religion of
their husbands. It was not long before Chilperic's affection was
estranged from his queen by the wiles of a woman named Fredegunda, and
Geleswintha was put to death by his orders. Brunihild stirred up
her husband to avenge the murder of her sister. In the war between
the two Frankish kingdoms Sigebert died, and Brunihild had a long and
stormy reign as queen-mother. She was a woman of masculine energy
and wonderful powers of mind, a great ruler, but tyrannical and
unscrupulous, and it was said that ten kings and queens lost their lives
in the turmoils which she excited. At last she fell into the power
of her enemy Fredegunda, who caused her to be tied behind a horse and
dragged along the ground until she died. Then her lacerated body
was thrown into the flames. (The Story of the Goths, Bradley,
1888)